Knitting-machine pattern mechanism.



W. W. BURSON. KNITTING MACHINE PATTERN MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 19 08.

. v I Y Patented June 27, 1911.

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, SON, a citizen of the cylinders may bedsfandin which the needles WILSON, WORTH BURSON, or ROCKFORD, ILLINoIs.

KNITTING-MACHI1\TE PATTERN MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1911.

Application filed September 5 1908. Serial No. 451,813.

To' all 'w/wm it may concern: I

Be it known that I, W LsoN WORTH Bun- United States, residing n Rocl(fo1'd, in the county of winnebago anol State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful, Improvement in Knitting-Ma chine Pattern Mechanism, of Whic the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the pattern mechanism used in that class of knittingmachines known as straight knitting machines, the same having two parallel rows of needles mounted on suitable frames, with an open- Ing between them for the knit fabric to pass through.

My 'object'in the invention has been to provide improved mechanism whereby such control the positioning of the needles! 1 The nature of my. improvement will be fully understood from the description there of given below, when considered in connec tion. with the accompanying drawing foimmg a part of the description, and in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a partial cross section of the machine showing the needle mechanism and a portion of the pattern cylinder. Fig. 2 is a similar view somewhat enlarged from Fig. 1, showing the parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial plan of the cylinder. Fig. 1 is a de tail view of one of the vibrating levers. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a knitting machine embodying my present improvements. Fig. 6 is a side view of the switch wheel controlling the rotary movements of the pattern cylinders.

In said drawing, 5 represents a portion of the stationary'frame of the machine, and 6, 7, 8 and 9 are port-ions of the stationarylongitudina'l bars or'parts forming the needle are supported 'at an angle to the horizontal as shown. The needles are shown at .10, 10, those of'o'pposite rows being adapted to be projected across each other when in action. The

needles are supported in the beds upon what- .Qf. the needle. The. wall plates are staid manner usual in these machines.

fneedles,as plainly shown'." The or depress the jacks.

, the cylinder.

' in position by their entrance in transverse grooves formed in the needle bed in the The needles are projected into acting position and are withdrawn therefrom by jacks 13, the upper ends of which have notches adapted to engage the turned up lower ends of the jacks upon their upper-edges have lugs 14,. which are engaged by the cam devices on longitudinally moving cam bars 15, traveling in ways formed in the supporting bed and by such cam bars are actuated longitudinally so that they carry the needles into and out of acting positions The cam devices of the bars 15 are not shown, but their construction is well known to manufacturers of this class of knitting machines.

The pattern cylinder 16 is a cast cylinder located stationarily and adapted to rotate, the operating parts of whichjare located at and near its end, andthose parts of its periphery at which the needles. should move into non-acting position are wholly cut away giving the end of the cylinder a stepped'for mation' so that the remaining parts of the cylinder are very light in weight as compared with previous constructions. The cylinder is adapted to act on the vibrating levers 17 in such manner as to cause the lifting of the 'jacks so asto bring their lugs 14.-

into the path of the cam devices of bars 15,

and also to' lower the jacks so as to withdraw them' from engagement 'with the cam bars. The jacks are free to move longitudinally in said levers, so that the cams can slide the jacks upward or downward, and thus project the needles into acting position or withdraw them to normal position. The levers 17 are supported at each side by the wall plates, and are pivoted at 18, so that they may rock and thereby be able'to l ft The pivot islocated nearer one end of the lever than the other in order. that the latter maybe the heavier so that'when it has fallen toits lowermost position, its own gravity will effectually hold it against rising from that .osit;:r'on, and also in order that the risers 21, described below, niay be made short and still produce, the necessary amountof movement at the long end of the levers, and allow the pivots of the levers to be located near the periphery of I do not, however, rely upon either gravity or springs to give movement to the levers, but instead I provide means whereby they may be'positively operated at the proper times, and these means are described in the following paragraph.

The levers haveeach two "downwardly a projecting points or'feet, one 19 located laterally of the body oft-he lever and at the initial or forward end of the same, andthe other 20, under the body but at theopposite side of the pivot from foot 19. Both feet are beveled at" their forward and also at their back faces, so that the feet 19 will ride over the risers .21 mentioned below, whether the cylinder be moving forwarder back, and so that the-feet 20 after ha .ing passed off the surface of the cylinder, as described below, I will again be lifted up onto said surface whenever the same again presents itself in either the forward or back movement of the cylinder. The cylinder is provided witha series of risers orbuttons 2lso located'thatthey pass under and lift thejfeet 19 of the levers ashort distance above the cylinder surface as seen at Fig. 2, and this operation is coincident in the case of each lever '25 with the passing of the foot 20 of the same v lever over the step 22, that being the pointat which the cylinder is cut away so far as' it controls the lever being described. The

lifting of foot 19' and the'steppin'g off of foot 20 allows the leverto'rock from the position of Fig. l to that of Fig. 2 and this, results indepressing the jack so it cannot be-acted on by the cam bar 15. In this posi'- tion the lever rests upon the rod 23 Which- 3-5 passes transversely through the wall plates, and acts as a sto 'to limit the downward movement of the ever. 4 The lever and jack continue in the position just described until the cylinder has moved far enough to bring another acting portion of its surface under the lever. When this occurs the feet 19 and 20 will both slide up onto the surface ofthe cylinder and continue to ride thereon until the riser 21 and step 22 again appear or another similar riser and step appear in their stead, and causes the rocking of the lever as above described. I show the lever with both feet on the solid part of the cylinder in Fig.

l, and in this position the lever is raised s0 that it brings the jack into position for engagement with cam bar 15, and continues the needle in action until thejriser and step cause the rocking of the controlling lever and the withdrawal of the jack.

The pivot l8is located quite near the periphery of the pattern cylinder. In practice, this is desirable, and in this instance I have located it as near as the clearance required by the risers 21 would permit.

The pattern cylinders are rotatable in both directions, and lift the levers when moving back as well as when moving forward. The

' cylinders are supported onshafts 25 and they are provided with intermeshing gears I 26 so that-they move together at all times.

At 27 is aycomparativelysmall gear meshing with one of the cars 26, and on the same shaft with gear 27 is a toothed wheel 28, the teeth of which engage the outstanding rib 29 of a wheel 30 mounted upon a cross shaft31- 7o continuously rotated. by gears 32 and 33 from the power shaft 34 driven by the belt.

pulleys 35.; The rib 29 embodies a switch.

section 36, andthis section is adapted to be shifted ineither. direction from the central ,75 or neutral position shown, or if shifted to.

.either side it may be shifted back to the central position, andthe means for accomplishing these changes of position are fully dis.- 1 closed in my said application'408,902 and 0 governed by the wheel 40 driven by a ratchet 41 and the pawl 42 actuated by the cam 43 a on the shaft '31. The arm 44 on shaft 45 car rying cam 'blocks 46 operating the arm 47 attached to theswitch section 36 is a portion of theswitch operatingmeans.

for knittingn1achines,"with the needles of s the jacks, of the pivoted levers for raising and lowering the jacks, said levers having 1 0 feet 19 and 20, a stationarily located pattern cylinder rotatable in both directions having formed at its end risers and cut away steps :for rocking the levers, an'd means for rotating the cylinder in both directions. 0

3. The combination in pattern mechanism for knitting machines, with the needles of the jacks, the pivoted levers for raising and lowering the jacks, said levers having feet .19 .and 20, a stationarily located pattern cyl-' 9 inder rotatable in both directions having, risers for lifting feet 19 and also having portions of its surface cut away in steps to allow the rocking of the 'leversand means for rotating the'cylinder in both ,directions. 5

4. The combination in pattern mechanism for knitting machines, ofa stationarily lo 1 cated pattern cylinder rotatable in both -directions' mutilated by cutting away from its .end in steps those portions at which the piv- 9 oted jack controlling levers should be depressed, means for rotating the cylinder in both directions, and a series of such levers, riding upon and rocked by said cylinder.

5. The combination with a stationarily" 5 located pattern cylinder rotatable in both directions having risers 21 and cut away portions 22, of pivoted jack controlling levers having feet 19 and 20 bothof which are beveled on their front and their rear faces 1 so that they are adapted he be lifted by the cylinder when moving either backward er forward and means-for rotating the cylin der in both directions.

6. The cembination with a stat-ienarily 10- cated pattern cylinder rotatable in both di 10 out of action at such cutaway'por'tions and means for rotating the cyiinder in both directions, such levers being provided with beveled faces whereby they may ride up and on to the surface of the cylinder after dropping 0d at the inutilations.

WILSON VORTH BURSON.

"Witnesses JOHN G. MILNER, ELMER M. HEIM. 

